Presently, separate systems exist for collaborative environments and knowledge management. Each of these systems has its own data representation method and mechanism, which results in inefficiencies and difficulties in integrating these systems.
One of the most difficult and expensive issues in the development of complex visual training products, such as simulations of complex machines, human interfaces and control interface software, is the poor level of communications among the various groups of professionals involved. The involved professionals can include design engineers, production engineers, mechanical CAD operators, developers, fielded system operators, instructional designers, visual engineers, 3D content developers, training application engineers and program managers.
Knowledge transfers between the actual design and production organizations, developers, and those professionals involved in the design and implementation of training solutions involve complex knowledge acquisition and management activities that require sophisticated communications and data management solutions. This is traditionally a source of considerable expense.
The collection and translation of detailed systems knowledge into a form that can be readily used in training systems development requires the coordination of a number of different disciplines that do not share common workflow procedures nor do they typically share a mutually understood taxonomy or toolset within which they can effectively collaborate.
Historically, most of the information flow between these groups has taken the form of traditional documentation and mechanical CAD data, produced by the design engineers, from which the production engineers and process developers must determine how to build the finished product. These groups can use different software tools, which further inhibits communications with training developers who must determine specific characteristics and operational requirements for the related training systems by drawing from multiple data sources and reconciling information conflicts between design data and what was actually built.
Therefore, one of the features of this disclosure is to provide a common representation mechanism for project data, and a way in which the new representation can be used to automate the production of virtual replicas of the described systems.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent benefits of the present disclosure. These benefits should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the disclosure. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosure in a different manner or modifying features within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other benefits and a fuller understanding of the disclosure may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.